Animal rights organization PETA has asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) not only to remove equestrian sport from the pentathlon but to remove it completely from the Olympic program. "Norms and values change, also the sport has to be modernized," said PETA.
As a result of some missteps in the modern pentathlon at the Olympics, the equestrian component there was officially dropped this week. Animal rights organization PETA is taking advantage of this decision to urge the IOC to remove all sports with horses from the program, including jumping, dressage and eventing.
"The Olympics have always moved with the times in recent years. For example, croquet was also once a sport at the Games," said Kathy Guillermo of PETA. "But norms and values also change and it's time for the IOC to recognize this."
The IOC did not immediately respond to PETA's call. But the FEI did: "The incident in Tokyo involving coach Kim Raisner has unfortunately had a major impact on the acceptance of equestrian sport," said an FEI spokesperson. "Equestrian sport, however, has always been about that unique bond between horse and rider. That bond is not there in that pentathlon. Because there, athletes are assigned an unknown horse by lot."
Yet, according to Kathy Guillermo of PETA, the problem would not only occur in the pentathlon. "In the eventing a horse had to be euthanized after a fall and in the showjumping we saw a horse with a bloody nose continue anyway. Not one horse should have to suffer or die for a gold medal," PETA said.
Source: Sporza